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Friday, November 29, 2013

I just got done cleaning up after hosting a "friendsgiving" with my roommate, and I thought I'd share a short DIY for the dessert I made for tonight: chocolate fudge brownies. This is another completely fool-proof method for dense, fudgy, rich brownies, and for the first time ever, I whipped up some chocolate frosting (which coincidentally tasted kind of like brownie batter).

Fudge brownies with chocolate frosting

This recipe is my absolute go-to solution for whenever I need/want to baking something that's easy to share. It's very simple and incredibly hard to mess up, and you can easily make it your own by getting creative with the add-ins. I often make it with chocolate chips, as recommended, but have also tried using dried cranberries, shredded coconut, m&m's, walnuts and now, chocolate frosting — they all came out wonderfully.

As for the frosting, it was my first time making frosting from scratch on my own, so I was a bit weary of how it would turn out, but I was very pleasantly surprised with the result. This is another incredibly simple recipe and tastes much better than the canned stuff.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

I've already been to Oh! Taisho so many times that I've lost track. How often does that happen?! (Hint: NEVER)

I have several reasons for why I keep going back for more, but the biggest is that the food is just that good (and fast and cheap and authentic)!

My absolute favorite thing to get here is the okonomiyaki, which is a savory pancake filled with a variety of ingredients. Oh! Taisho's specifically has a lot of veggies and seafood within the pancake, with a layer of chewy dried pork and bonito flakes on top, finished with Japanese mayo and a sweet brown sauce. This massive, thick pancake, which will only set you back $6.75, is heavenly and most definitely does not disappoint.

Okonomiyaki

Another delicious item on the menu is the kimchi yaki udon, which is stir-fried thick noodles with kimchi, pork and a (slightly) spicy sauce. With the perfect balance of salty and tangy, this $7.50 dish is also worth every penny.

Other than the food, the super fast service is also noteworthy. Literally within minutes of ordering, the okonomiyaki is in front of you!

Some drawbacks about this place, however, are the wait and space. On weekends, especially from 7 to 10 p.m., it could take you hours to get a table, and there's hardly a waiting area in this tiny and very loud venue.

But, again, the amazing food and affordable prices keep drawing me back in here. It's indubitably one of my favorite places in the EV!

Creme brulee doughseed: Lawrence the NYC Food Guy was right. This thing is the bomb. No questions asked — just get it.

Carrot cake: This is my absolute favorite! It's so flavorful, thanks to all of the spices, and the cream cheese filling is divine.

Blueberry: No wow factor in this one, but it's still pleasant (possibly because I love everything with blueberry).

Valrhona chocolate: Again, not spectacular but still good, airy and chocolatey.

Blueberry cake doughnut

I've also been following them on Instagram (follow me here!), and they've apparently since added coffee cake and pumpkin flavors, which means I'll have to go again very soon (before they stop making the pumpkin doughnuts!).